Granite Gear Virga3 55L Rucksack

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A simple and streamlined, frameless ultralight backpack that has put a lot of focus on making a highly adjustable pack to accommodate any body shape. The Viaga3’s aim is to make the outdoors more accessible to everyone.

Granite Gear says: 

Granite Gear takes its commitment to making the outdoors a space for every body a step further by reframing the conversation around ultralight backpacking with the new Virga3 series.

With a fully adjustable torso height and width and the lightest Re-Fit hip belt to-date, Granite Gear invites all to join the ultralight experience with the Virga3 55 and Virga3 26. It continues to be of utmost importance to our brand to expand the range of people and bodies that our packs can comfortably and responsibly fit.

The Virga3 55 weighs in at 1.68 lbs out of the box (stripped weight: 1.18 lb), made with Robic® High-tenacity nylon (100D and 210D) with Barrier DWR. Part of the way Granite Gear achieves the phenomenally light weights of the Virga3 series packs is by not utilizing a frame sheet, stays, or foams in the back panel. The load itself functions as the pack’s suspension. The nylon shell gains support and rigidity from a sleeping pad— fold up and slide your pad into dedicated panels on the interior or simply drop in a rolled pad and let it uncoil to push against the back panel, and pack gear inside the roll.

New for the Virga3 is Granite Gear’s lightest, fully adjustable padded Re-Fit waist belt on the Virga3 55 (Large Re-Fit belt available for waist sizes up to 52″. The shoulder harness system now takes a nod from the trail running and fast packing world with two sternum straps for an even hug (fully removable). Other key features are: large dual hip belt pockets with DWR-treated zippers, roll-top main compartment opening with top compression for easy access, and a pair of elastic bottle holders on both shoulder straps.

Our Verdict

At first, this seemed like a pretty standard pack; it’s from Granite Gear, so you know you are getting a high level of quality, but it wasn’t till I got my hand on the pack that I realised how accommodating and adjustable it is.

I’ve never come across a pack that allows you to adjust the shoulder straps’ width before, so if you have narrow or wide shoulders, you can tailor the pack to that. The Virga3 has an easy-to-adjust torso suspension and two sternum straps, eliminating bounce and tailoring the pack’s fit even more.

The shoulder straps are narrow and made from solid foam, not a breathable mesh. However, they are extremely well padded, and each has an ultralight and minimalistic bungee cord attachment to secure a water bottle, a feature I wasn’t sure about initially. Still, it works ok for smaller water bottles, but they are a little fiddly to attach.

The removable hip belt is made from the same foam as the shoulder straps and fits waists that range from 26 inches to 42 inches, and it does a good job of comfortably spreading the weight of the pack onto the hips.

The bag is huge and easily swallows gear; it’s a roll-top closure with an over-the-top compression strap to keep the pack neat and close to your body.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Frameless suspension for ultralight classification
• Dual density shoulder harness with load-lifter straps and dual removable sternum straps 
• RE-Fit fully adjustable dual density hip belt (from 26-42″ & 24-40″ on Women’s fit) 
• Dual large hip belt pockets with DWR treated zippers 
• Roll-top main compartment opening with top compression strap for quick access and easy compression 
• Stretch mesh front pocket 
• Pair of elastic bottle holders on both shoulder straps 
• Hydration port with toggle to hang on interior 
• Side and front compression straps 

Specifications

• Regular weighs: 794g
• Long weighs:
• Volume (liters): 55
• Volume (cubes): 3350
• Regular fits torso: 18-21 inches
• Long fits torso: 21-24 inches
• Fits wasit/hips: Standard Re-Fit Belt 26”- 42” or Large Re-Fit Belt 36”- 52”
• Raincover included: No

Material & Construction

• Robic® High-tenacity nylon (100D and 210D) with Barrier DWR
• Undyed colorway uses 98% undyed fabrics and materials reducing water waste by 55% in materials
• Frame: Frameless suspension
• Adjustable torso: Yes
• Sternum strap: Dual – removable

Help & advice:

• The Ultimate Guide to Choosing an Ultralight Rucksack
• Time-Saver Guide to Choosing a Rucksack